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Portrait of a young Mexican girl. 23% of girls in Mexico are married before the age of 18. Photo credit: Curt Carnemark | World Bank.

23 June 2017 - When we think about child marriage we might think of South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa. New research by the Ford Foundation and Investigación en Salud y Demografía (INSAD) brings Mexico – a country with the 8th highest number of child brides in the world – into the spotlight.

“Studies like these are enormously useful because they provide concrete evidence that this really is a problem in the Americas as well” Hillary Anderson, The Inter-American Commission of Women

The study is based on data from the 2015 intercensal survey, as well as interviews with 17 girls and 15 community actors and experts. We recap some of the key findings.

Child marriage is not decreasing in Mexico

Child marriage is common in many areas of Mexico. Nearly 1 in 4 girls (or 23%) are married or in a union before the age of 18, a rate that has been stagnant for almost 30 years. Living in rural area is a risk factor. In 14 of the 32 states, the report found that 30% of girls in rural settings were married before 18.